Fastener closure for shirts and blouses

ABSTRACT

A button placket fastener closure directed to garments, such as shirts or blouses. The fastener closure uses alternating and opposing buttons to fully secure each side of the button placket, such that the button placket does not gap to reveal the skin or undergarments of the garment wearer.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

THIS APPLICATION CLAIMS BENEFIT OF PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION No. 61/443,314 FILED ON FEB. 16, 2011.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The instant invention relates to garments such as blouses and shirts which are able to have an inner placket be affixed to an outer placket by a fastener. Such fasteners include, but are not limited to buttons, discs, clips, snaps or hook and eye fasteners.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to garments such as a shirt or blouse, including means to secure any gaps which may form between buttons. Such gaps may not be wanted by the wearer as it may expose undergarments or skin to casual observers.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Traditional button-down garments enploy buttons with corresponding proximal buttonholes to fasten together the outer placket and the inner placket of the garment. Usually, the shirt or blouse has a fixed vertical distance between each button and buttonhole. When the buttons are all inter-fitted with their corresponding buttonholes the outer placket and the inner placket are attached in a dis-continuous fashion. It is common for a gap to occur in the intermediate region between a first secured button and a second secured button. This gap may visually expose the wearer's undergarments or skin, which is undesirable. In the case of a women's blouse, one solution is to purchase a second undergarment such as a tank top which would place a physical obstruction in the gap opening. In the instant invention, a gap closing button and a gap closing hole are placed in the intermediate region defined by the gap. By securing the gap closing button to the gap closing buttonhole, the gap is closed and the wearer of the blouse will have her modesty when desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blouse in an open position showing the arrangements of buttons and buttonholes located on the plackets of the present invention;

FIG. 1A is a side view of a portion of a blouse, showing the gap present between an inner button placket and an outer button placket, the instant gap to be closed by use of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a blouse in a closed position showing the arrangement of buttons and buttonholes located on the plackets, further showing an additional button and buttonhole of the instant invention in dashed lines at two locations, as such the additional button and buttonhole are located beneath the top placket;

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2 showing the inner and outer plackets of the blouse in close proximity without any button being secured in a buttonhole;

FIG. 4 is a top sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 2 showing the inner and outer plackets of the blouse being secured together by a button being secured in an adjacent buttonhole.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The instant invention will be described in detail by referring the following discussion to the Figures provided in the application. This discussion will center on the structural elements of the invention as well as their function. The interrelationships between parts in both form and function will be clearly shown thus completely describing the invention. As used herein, the terms blouse and shirt can be interchanged. Further the invention can be for women's or men's or children's clothing where applicable.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 1, a perspective view of the instant blouse 10 is shown.

Collar 15 is shown which includes a collar button 20 and a collar buttonhole 25. By placing the collar button 20 through the collar buttonhole 25, one would secure the collar 15 about the neck of the user (not shown). It has been contemplated that there may be blouses in general which do not have a collar and in such a case there would be no bearing whatsoever on the instant invention. An inner button placket 30 and an outer button placket 35 are provided. Both the inner button placket 30 and the outer button placket 35 have substantial substructure which will be described in much greater detail in the discussion of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

The inner button placket 30 includes button 40 and button 45. Button 40 and button 45 are secured to the inner button placket 30 by conventional means such as thread. One can imagine that a button may be affixed to a placket by any of a variety of means which are considered to be in the scope of the invention. Additionally, the number of buttons are not limited to those shown in these Figures, they are merely representative of one possible configuration. One should consider the number of buttons located on the inner button placket 30 as a design choice. Located to the right of the inner button placket 30 is a vertical distance designator D. This measures the vertical distance (D) from button 40 to button 45.

An outer button placket 35 includes buttonhole 55 and buttonhole 60. As can be seen, button 40 is proximal to buttonhole 55. Button 45 is shown affixed to buttonhole 60.

A hidden button 65 and a hidden buttonhole 70 are identified by dashed lines. A second hidden button 75 and second hidden buttonhole 80 are also shown as the last call outs on FIG. 1. This hidden structure is essential to the invention and will be discussed thoroughly and in detail in the discussion of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

Referring specifically to FIG. 1A, the gap G is shown between inner button placket 30 and outer button placket 35. This gap G is formed when button 40 and button 45 are placed into and through their associated buttonholes (55, 60). Button 40 is connected to the inner button placket 30 by button connection means 32. Button 45 is connected to the inner button placket 30 by button connection means 42. Button connection means 32 and button connection means 42 are generally chosen to be thread or a thread-like material. The garment industry may have other materials which are employed to secure buttons on fabrics, such materials are considered to be included as possible material to secure a button here. Length D shows the distance between button 40 and button 45. It is considered that gap G would not extend past length D between any two sets of buttons.

FIG. 2 includes substantially all the same elements as FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, the buttons secured to the inner button placket 30 have been passed through the buttonholes located on the outer button placket 35. Button 65 and button 75 are shown in dashed lines as they are not observable, i.e. they are covered by a portion of the outer button placket 35. It will be more easily seen in subsequent Figures, but prior to the buttoning of hidden button 65, a gap existed in the region defined by the vertical distance D, which is the area between button 40 and button 45. When this gap is open, a casual observer would be able to see into the blouse 10, seeing any undergarments being worn or skin, possibly embarrassing the wearer of blouse 10. By buttoning hidden or gap closing button 65, the problem is obviated as the gap is no longer present.

Now turning specifically to FIG. 3 shows a side sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2 showing the inner and outer plackets of the blouse in close proximity without any button being secured in a buttonhole. The inner button placket 30 includes button 40 and button 45. Button 45 is secured to inner button placket 30 by button securing means 42. Button 40 is secured to inner button placket 30 by button securing means 32. Button securing means 32 and button securing means 42 are generally made from thread or string or other fibrous elongates. When button 40 is secured in buttonhole 55 and button 45 is secured in buttonhole 60, a gap is formed between the outer button placket 35 and the inner button placket 30 and associated fabrics between the two buttons which the instant invention desires to close. This is performed by button 65 which is secured to the outer button placket 35 by button securing means 62. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, securing means 62 does not extend to the outer portion of button placket 35 so that securing means 62 is not visible when looking at button placket 35 from the front of the blouse. Button securing means 62 is generally made from thread or string or other fibrous elongates. Button 65 sits adjacent and proximal to buttonhole 70. Button 65 is designed to be placed into buttonhole 70 which penetrates through the inner button placket 30. Button 65 is designed to not be visible to an observer viewing the blouse 10 from a remote position away from the person wearing the blouse. Button 65 further closes the gap which permits such a garment to be worn modestly.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 4 the gap closing button 65 is shown affixed in buttonhole 70. The gap closing button is secured through outer button placket 35 by button securing means 62. Threading or other fibrous elongates 36 supports placket 35 and threading or other fibrous elongates 31 supports inner placket 30.

Though the present description includes a single gap closing button 65 between button 40 and button 45, it is anticipated that a plurality of gap closing buttons 65 can be placed between the buttons 40 and 45 on the opposing plackets.

While the invention has been described in its preferred form or embodiment with some degree of particularity, it is understood that this description has been given only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction, fabrication, and use, including the combination and arrangement of parts, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A blouse, said blouse having a central opening, said opening further defined by an inner placket wherein said inner placket has an inner placket interior side, and an inner placket exterior side, an outer placket, wherein said outer placket has an outer placket interior side and an outer placket exterior side wherein said inner placket includes a plurality of buttons affixed to said inner placket interior side, said buttons are affixed to said inner placket interior side at a first equal vertical distance from each of one said buttons, and said outer placket includes a plurality of buttonholes which pass through said outer placket interior side and said outer placket exterior side, said buttonholes are formed at said first equal vertical distance from each of one said buttonholes, placing said buttons proximal to said buttonholes, permitting said plurality of buttons to be securely inter-fitted into said plurality of buttonholes, securing said outer placket to said inner placket and additionally forming a gap between said inner placket and said outer placket along said first equal vertical distance between said inter-fitted buttons and said buttonholes, a gap closing button, said gap closing button located in said gap and affixed to said outer placket interior side, a gap closing buttonhole is formed on said inner placket, whereby when said gap closing button is secured to said gap closing buttonhole, said previously formed gap is closed.
 2. The blouse of claim 1 wherein said gap closing button is concealed from view.
 3. The blouse of claim 2 wherein said first plurality of buttons securely inter-fitted into said first plurality of buttonholes and said gap closing button is securely inter-fitted into said gap closing buttonhole forms a discontinuous closure system for said blouse. 